


Moments

by auficial



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Levi and eren's relationship presented differently ho ho ho, M/M, fic on when Eren first joined Levi and team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-04
Updated: 2014-09-04
Packaged: 2018-02-16 04:26:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2255820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/auficial/pseuds/auficial
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a slow descend falling into Eren, Levi realized, and it happened so slowly and surely that he didn't know when he started actually liking the brat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moments

"That boy is staring at you again," Erwin commented idly as he tore his bread.

Levi almost wanted to wring his superior's neck. As if it was even possible to ignore the eyes boring at the back of his head. On hindsight, Levi felt like the terrified Eren Jaeger was much better than the simpering fan boy that he was at the moment. Opposite him, Hanji muffled a snigger, which, naturally, prompted Levi to aim a kick at the other's ankle.  _Of course_  it would make Hanji laugh instead. Levi swore that Hanji was a masochistic piece of crap sometimes. (Maybe all the time, he remarked to himself as the laughter only increased at another kick.) Erwin was studying him with amusement again, as though wondering whether to delve properly into the subject of Levi's blatant admirer.

"Don't," Levi warned with a glare and they dropped the subject.

At least until Eren tripped over his feet on the way to returning his dishes. That resulted in a spillage of soup and crumbs on the floor and like Hanji to a prospect of knowing more about titans, Levi was summoned to scold the boy for sullying the previously spotless floor. As the pair watched Levi reprimanding the boy and the boy looking like Levi farted floral scents and made rainbows appear in the sky, "You can tell he worships the floor Levi steps on," Erwin decided to say.

"Do you think he'll confess?" Hanji wondered.

"I doubt so," Erwin studied the situation again, "I dare say the boy doesn't even know his own feelings yet."

In most cases, it was usually customary to set a bet to have some fun speculating the outcome when romantic (or close to that notions are in place.) Erwin was even expecting it but Hanji only excitedly exclaimed, "Do you think having fan boy feelings will affect his titan state? Or that I don't know, he will remain human-like if it's Levi in front of him? What if titan Eren worships Levi too?!"

At that moment, Erwin looked at Hanji again and remembered who exactly he was talking to. ' _I'm sorry,_ ' he mentally said to no one, ' _I was wrong to have expected a traditional bet to take place. But in any case, I bet that Levi will be nice to Eren because Levi is really a soft person and that Eren will confess._ '

There was a pause in Erwin's thoughts. Finally, he concluded, ' _If Levi turns out to be nice, I will give both Levi and Eren a serving of meat from my own rations. If Eren confesses, I'll give Levi the wine I was saving._ '

A final thought to round off the conclusion, ' _I hope I can keep the wine._ '

 

 

 

Levi couldn't deny that he was honestly disturbed by the way Eren Jaeger's eyes followed him around. It was like having an itch you can't scratch because everyone was watching and would most definitely judge you for it. (His balls, he meant, for anyone who was dumb enough not to get the reference.) Usually, Levi was quick to make decisions because his life always depended on it. However, this time, when the only thing at risk were his comfort and a certain hope of mankind's feelings, he felt like he could stall and see how things turn out instead of making sure they turn out the way he wished them to. (He couldn't always make sure things did turn out as the best possible outcome but he could always nudge it in the right direction.)

Truth be told, Levi wasn't exactly sure what was it he wanted either.

He felt bewildered, to say the least, to round the corner to find Eren sitting at the foot of his door, looking like a lost child. Levi couldn't help but feel as though his thoughts had summoned the boy. The brat was hugging a pillow to his chest, looking brooding. He perked up the moment he set eyes on Levi's shoes but averted his eyes as he stood up. "What is it, brat?" Levi grunted, already expecting the worse. There was no way in Sina that he was there for nothing.

"Uh," Eren looked uncertain, "Commander Erwin said that it wouldn't be good for a growing boy to sleep in the basement all the time and he sent me to you."

' _That fucker,_ ' was Levi's first thought as he imagined a smirking Hanji sniggering behind a smug Erwin. The second was him wondering what on earth did Commander Erwin Smith want him to do about the supposed problem? "So?" he sighed in defeat.

"Commander said that the rooms are all occupied at the moment and that you'll know what to do."

' _I'm going to murder Erwin in his sleep one day,_ ' Levi thought idly before he entered his room. "What are you doing, brat?" he called once he noticed he entered alone, "Do you need a written invitation?"

Ignoring the "Sorry, heichou!" and frenzied effort to shut the door, Levi began removing his armour and clothes. He did spare a small, amused smile at the sudden choke from behind him as he took off both his shirt and stepped out of his pants. Clad only in his underwear, he turned to see Eren flushed crimson and found that he was rather amused at the boy's reaction. It was somewhat flattering. His short stature was never a problem when it came to attracting interest from other people but it had been so long since someone set their eyes firmly on him. Most people were interested in their commander Erwin Smith, otherwise known as Mr. Handsome.

The little brat kept sneaking looks at him, as though he didn't want to be caught staring but at the same time, couldn't take his eyes off Levi.

"Come on," Levi grumbled, dragging the mattress from under the bed.

"Um, heichou, why do you have an extra mattress?"

Another sigh. "....Auruo gets nightmares sometimes. He comes to drink tea with me at night and ends up sleeping here. Sometimes the others need a little company to get them through the night. It's quite often that they see their comrades killed right before their eyes."

"....How?" Eren choked out and Levi paused in fluffing up the mattress a little and attempting to smooth out some of the bumps in the hay. He waited and sure enough, the brat managed to continue, "How can you say it all in such a nonchalant tone?" Was it nonchalant? Levi supposed that to most people, it may seem so. He would called it resigned but perhaps they couldn't hear his weariness in his dead voice. 

"People die," he replied flatly, straight into Eren's eyes that were filled with disbelief, "There's no point in lingering over the dead. I rather spend my life left on the living." Levi sat on his bed, looking at Eren who was still standing and clutching onto his pillow, much like a child. He looked even more so because he had already removed his armour and was in casual, threadbare civilian clothes. When Eren met his eyes, they were bright and somehow haunting and before he knew it, he was saying, "Each of them who died live on here."

And he did the salute, resting his fist on his bare chest, above his heart.

A split second later, Levi felt a little embarrassed at saying something so cheesy and clad only in his underwear, so he got under the thin covers. "Get to sleep," he grunted, "we need to wake early."

"Yes, heichou," was the soft reply that came.

Levi listened to the rustles that the cloth made and crunch of hay as Eren settled down and waited until the brat's breathing became light and even before he fell asleep. He never told anyone but having company when he slept reminded him that he wasn't alone and assured him that it was perfectly reasonable to dependent on others like they depended on him.

It served as a reminder that even humanity's strongest was still human.

 

 

 

When he woke up, it was cold and his torso was exposed. He looked down to see Eren had gotten hold of his blanket and grumbled, "You shitty brat!"

And that was how Eren woke up with a kick to his face.

"Nice face," Auruo sniggered. Petra's attempts at shushing him was futile and Levi couldn't stop Hanji from laughing like some obnoxious ass either. Otherwise, the rest of the day was routine and usual. It was strange. Eren was used to being a competitive environment where one had to out perform the rest or in scenarios where it was life or death- yours or others. He could tell they were still wary of him and the threat he posed but yet, somehow, it felt comforting to wake up to the same old faces and to the same old jokes and reprimands.

He felt a little like his life was normal again, although it hadn't been normal for a long while now. Almost like he could remember the memories he suppressed a long time ago, of breakfast with three others.........

Yes, it was probably a lifetime ago.  
  


 

 

"That scrawny brat?"

"He looks so weak and useless!"

"Him?! Seriously?!"

Levi listened to the whispers of the members who came to drop supplies off at the castle. Evidently, they were staring at the main attraction, Eren Jaeger, as the brat went through his mandatory training routine which consisted of basic physical exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, etc.

"He killed two men when he was nine," Levi decided to pitch in helpfully, enjoying the looks of horror as they realized he was present and watched them become more pronounced as they registered what he was saying. 

Then, he walked away.

 

 

 

Every single person could tell that there was something going on with Eren and Levi.

"Eren is so lucky," Petra groaned. She was too busy grumbling to herself to notice the looks that Eld, Gunther and Auruo sent her. Most of the other random members looked on in amusement, wondering how it will pan out. Interest definitely peaked when Eren started sleeping in Levi's room regularly and Commander Erwin looked almost gleeful at the development.

"What's this for?" Levi grumbled one night, poking at the portion of meat that Erwin left on his plate.

"Nothing," Erwin said with a smile that made Levi want to plunge that blond head into water and mess up his perfect hairdo when he was at it. "I gave a portion to Eren as well."

Levi turned just in time to see Eren take a nibble, watched his face explode into euphoria and started to gush about it to everyone else at the table. ".....Thanks," Levi managed to say to Erwin.

"No problem," the commander replied casually.

Levi didn't hear him at all- he was still wondering whether he thanked Erwin for the meat or for letting him see that look on Eren's face.

 

 

 

It only took a few days for Levi to discover that Eren's neck was really sensitive.

The revelation happened one night when Levi wanted to get a better look at the bruise Eren had on his cheek and the little shitty brat was being all polite and saying it was fine. Irritated, Levi simply grabbed the back of Eren's neck and dragged him down. Little did he expect the boy to literally _crumble_. One second, the brat was whining and standing and next, he's on the ground, curled up on the mattress. ' _Someone kill me,_ ' was a thought that flashed immediately in his head because Levi was pretty sure he had less than appropriate thoughts about the way Eren basically looked like something from a wet dream. The cherry flush on his cheeks that spread to his ears and neck, how his body was curled up and the little shudders that Levi could see.

"What the hell was that?" Levi demanded after Eren got himself in order and sat up.

"My neck, heichou," Eren's blush receded just the slightest bit, "is extremely sensitive. Armin and Mikasa used to torture me because of it."

"Is that so?" Levi murmured and his smirk actually made Eren shift back a bit on the mattress.

"Heichou?" Eren whimpered.

Just to test it out again, Levi leaned forward from his spot on his bed to run the pads of a few fingers down the side of Eren's neck. The reaction was immediate. The blush came back in a furious rush, the boy's body immediately curled into himself and he let out a soft, " _Ahhh_." Levi snatched back his hand as though burned. "Heichou!" Eren whined, hiding his face with the pillow. Laughing at how childish the boy seemed, Levi ruffled his hair and smiled.

The next day, Levi marvelled at how different the boy was when he was training. None of the usual hesitancy or uncertainty was present; his movements were sharp although a little too rough. Seeing that he was taking a break between practising strikes, Levi went ahead and leaned the water bag on the back of Eren's neck. The boy flinched and Levi mused at how easy it was to switch the relentless soldier into a teenage boy as Eren whipped around with a glare that melted into an exasperated, "Heichou!"

It happened again during meal time.

Levi entered the dining hall late because Hanji cheerfully dumped some work on him. (' _Always does it, that shitty person,_ ' Levi grumbled mentally, getting more irritated since Hanji was clearly in time for food.) Hanji even had the guts to wave at him cheerfully and Levi resisted the sudden urge to punch something. As was customary, he surveyed the dining hall and his eyes fell on Eren with the other squad members. A cheeky idea took root in his head and he felt like he couldn't just let it be. So, he decided to go with it.

As he walked pass Eren, he allowed his fingers to slide in a gentle caress over the back of Eren's neck, ending with a quick squeeze.

The result was glorious. The moment his fingers came into contact with skin, the boy curled into himself with a soft moan. With the squeeze, he let out a little whimper, a shudder as his forehead dropped to the table. The other occupants of the table were just blatantly staring at him. Levi hid a smile as he walked on to his table. "See, told you they were fucking," Auruo grumbled.

"Auruo!" Petra cried, outraged, "it's not nice to discuss people's private lives."

"It's not like that," Eren said, still blushing, "it's just that I have a sensitive neck and apparently, Heichou likes to make fun of me."

"Sensitive neck, eh?" Auruo repeated with a smirk.

"If you do anything, you know Heichou's gonna have your neck," Eld commented between bites.

"Yeah," Gunther laughed, "and not in the way he has Eren's."

Meanwhile, Levi sat down with his food and immediately, Hanji asked, "So! What was that all about?"

"Just a little teasing," he replied idly.

"It's nice," Erwin mused.

"What's nice?" Levi grumbled.

"You're not usually this familiar with your subordinates," Erwin explained and they continued the dinner in silence.

Levi couldn't help feeling a twinge of something in his chest. He knew it himself. It was better to not to know someone intimately when they could die at the next possible moment. He knew, from first hand experience, that the better you knew someone, the harder it was to let go later on. At this point, he longer remember when he started putting a distance between himself and others. Somehow, Eren managed to close that gap once more.

And Levi suspected it had more to do with the boy than his ability to grow his arms and legs back.

 

 

 

"Eren, come here."

Levi watched the boy drop whatever he was doing and came over like an animal responding to its master's call. "Sit down," Levi patted the space beside him on the bed. The boy's eyes were bright and clear and his face pleasantly blank. The cut he received during training had already faded and the burn from too hot soup a few days ago was long gone. It's almost as if whatever anyone did to this brat, he would go back to state zero.

"You're the hope of mankind, at this point," Levi begun and saw the boy's cloud over slightly and his expression started to look troubled. "As far as we know currently, you're the only one of your kind and we cannot help but bank our hopes on you."

He allowed it to sink into the boy's mind and before the boy could look completely serious and resolute, he continued, "But you're still a fifteen year old boy and you're a titan or a soldier, you're a citizen and a human being. It's okay to have fun, to cry, to grief, to do anything you wanted to or felt like."

"Heichou...." Eren swallowed, blinking furiously.

Levi smiled slightly and he knew that the boy understood that they had an understanding. Their bond wasn't necessarily one of love or friendship or any other such emotions but knowing that they served as reminders to each other. To Levi, it's almost as though Eren is the answer he had been looking for, for an existence that wouldn't be erased by titans. To Eren, Levi was the safe, infallible support that was always unfalteringly right and in a world of turbulence, he was constant.

Most importantly, though they were mankind's strongest and mankind's hope respectively, they were still humans and this was clearest to them when they were with each other.

 

 

 

"The boy doesn't seem like he's watching you with those puppy eyes anymore," Erwin commented one dinner. The two were alone today because Hanji had to finish up some last minute work.

"Hmm?" Levi looked up from the spoonful of soup. Erwin jerked his head in the direction of the boy. Levi spared a small smile. "Well, the brat finally realized I'm not that amazing person he thought I was."

"Mostly because you kept teasing him?" Erwin's eyebrow was beautifully arched in silent accusation.

"Tch," Levi grumbled, "the boy deserved it, revealing his weakness like that."

"So he didn't confess to you?"

"No," Levi stared at Erwin suspiciously. "You're usually never this interested in such matters."

"I have, well, how do you put this.... A personal interest in mankind's hope."

A snort. "If you say so."

Erwin barely held back his sigh of relief.

Looks like he would be keeping the wine after all.

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. Written because I felt like I couldn't exactly agree with the way other fics presented Levi and Eren, along with their relationship if it were set in canon.
> 
> 2\. Shout outs to:  
> [The thing](http://rhymewithrachel.tumblr.com/post/83586062827/its-2014-can-we-stop-pretending-that-levi-is-a) that made me decide how to write Levi that and I wanted him to be the guy who was 500% done with Hanji and Erwin's shit, HAHAHA.  
> I came across [this treasure](http://karebear.co.vu/post/90229454172/ok-i-love-the-idea-that-the-nape-of-erens-neck-would) somehow. [This ](http://karebear.co.vu/post/90237580592/holy-sheet-i-saw-your-reply-with-the-sensitive-neck) was my reply to that, along with a part of this fic itself. (I was feeling really unmotivated to finish this stupid thing and _this_ was the final boost I needed to get it done with!)
> 
> 3\. This stupid fic took me ages because I got stuck at almost every single point because I couldn't decide how I wanted the fic to go. (I got stuck immediately after Erwin did his bet thing in his head, lol) 
> 
> 4\. Yes, I adore the idea that Levi is some filthy mouthed old man with homicidal thoughts. _Adore._
> 
> 5\. The mattress part was when I knew the fic was going pear shaped or more accurately, that it wasn't going to go the way I originally planned it to. (I was just thinking of writing some bland, fluffy kind of fic.) 
> 
> 6\. Headcanon is that Levi has weak moments that he never shows. 
> 
> 7\. As much as I don't actually like Eren (I feel quite whatever about him, to be honest), I wanted to write him in different ways other than just mere simpering fan boy or angry brat or whatever else people limit their vision of him to. 
> 
> 8\. No, I am **never** going to get over the fact Eren practically casually killed two men when he was nine?! What?!
> 
> 9\. I originally made Petra a Levi/Eren fangirl but I was like, nah, let's not go there and go for some realism instead. 
> 
> 10\. That meat scene makes me feel like Levi is some uncle caring for his little brat. 
> 
> 11\. Ah, yes, the sensitive neck part- had the most fun writing this, I reckon! 
> 
> 12\. So yeah, Levi is in some way attracted to the brat and I didn't want to make him do the "you're too young for me" but I didn't want Levi to make a move on him, so you just got attraction going on, which I like. 
> 
> 13\. How does Levi even sound laughing..... 
> 
> 14\. I hoped I managed to show all sides of Eren and Levi! (I especially liked the sparring Eren that becomes teenage Eren with Levi's appearance.) 
> 
> 15\. LOVE Levi's team, still devastated they died, gah- writing the short banter was fun! 
> 
> 16\. The little pep talk that Levi gives is somewhat uncharacteristic, I feel, but I wanted it in there because I felt like Eren needed the reminder, sometimes. 
> 
> 17\. In fact, if you were to ask me to judge my own characterisation, I feel like my Levi is more off than my Eren, relative to their impressions in my head. 
> 
> 18\. That's their relationship to me- they serve as reminders and they are probably the few that can exist on the 'same level', so as to speak. (I like shipping and often, it involves the romantic and sexual nature of relationships but I feel very strongly that it doesn't always have to be that case. Yeap.) 
> 
> 19\. Thought it would be nice to have a playful side to Erwin. 
> 
> 20\. So that was my first and only snk fic! (Does anyone want anymore? I don't mind venturing further but to be honest, I'm not that keen so unless someone _wants_ me to write something....)


End file.
